The Beautiful People
by freekharrypotter
Summary: Ginny is really stuck. She thinks she's ugly, can't get a date, and worst of all, her BROTHERS are super-popular. Then Ginny makes a new friend, Jesse, and together, with a new exchange student, the three of them face of and battle the preps!
1. In the dorm

Ginny sighed, staring down at the book in her lap. She glanced up, peering across the room at Harry, Ron, Hermione, Lavender, Seamus, Dean, and Parvati. The Beautiful People. The Popular people...and she would never be one of them. Staring gloomily into the fire, she began to develop that unfocused stare that Seamus said made her look crazy. It was bad enough she had to go to school with these people, it was worse that one of them was her own brother... Ginny cast one more glance at the Beautiful People, then went up to her dormitory, hoping no one would be there. As luck would have it, the dormitory was deserted. Ginny went over to her dresser, and sat down, staring into the mirror. Her red hair, unbrushed since morning, flowed over her shoulders. Her skin was pale white, her eyes, a sparkling honey gold. She had a delicately modeled, almost chiseled face. But Ginny paid no attention to all this. She only thought of her freckles of her straight, boring nose, her flaming red  
hair....... Why the hell hadn't she been given the "beautiful" genes of her brothers... it had never seemed fair. Unwanted, a mental image of Harry, goofing around with Hermione, Lavender and Parvati came to her eyes. Harry.  
  
Harry.  
  
Harry was the reason she got up in the morning, the reason she ate, the reason she did her homework, the reason she went to bed at night, and brushed her teeth, and so many other things... But Ginny could never have Harry. She was too ugly. Too shy to even come within five feet of him without blushing and doing something stupid, ...Let alone talk to him. Ginny looked back up at her reflection again. Her eyes were swollen with unshed tears and, unwillingly, the tears came down. Ginny put her head on her arms and cried miserably. She didn't care...She didn't care about anyone any more. The dormitory was empty. No one cared. She could cry all she wanted to, but no one would come. She didn't matter enough to anyone to see if she was all right, why she had left the common room so suddenly. Ginny cried for what seemed like hours...the same thought kept running through her head. "No one cares. No one wants me. If I died right now, people would be shocked, everyone who had a faint  
idea that I existed. Most people would look at each other and say "Who is that?" Over and over and over again. Then she felt a light touch on her shoulder. "Umm, Ginny?" an uncertain sounding voice said. "Are you- are you all right?" Ginny slowly turned around to reveal Jesse Capehart. Jesse was in the same year as Ginny, and just as quiet. Ginny had nurtured hopes of the two being friendly towards each other. "You left really suddenly." Jesse said. "I sat there for a bit, wondering if I ought to come up and see if everything is okay...and then I came up." Ginny felt a stab of happiness. "You did? Thanks...." Blushing. "How long has it been?" Jesse shrugged, and checked her watch. "I don't know. About ten or fifteen minutes, maybe. Are you all right?" Ginny shrugged. "I don't know." She said simply. And it was the truth. Jesse nodded. "I understand." She said. "I was just on the verge of storming out myself. The Beautiful People were starting to get on my nerves." Ginny  
giggled suddenly. Oh, but it felt nice to be sitting here with another girl, possibly a friend...laughing together. It had been so long... "You call them that too?" Ginny asked. "Of course... that and preps....my arch enemies..." Ginny smiled slightly "I take it you don't like preps" Jesse scoffed "Of course not..." then Jesse remembered that Ginny's brother Ron was in the group... "Oh, sorry" Jesse said, sounding embarrassed. "Some can still be saved. Ron was nice enough to lend me a quill last night." Ginny smiled. This was really nice, just sitting with Jesse...talking together....Ginny thought that Jesse was "okay looking" Jesse had really incredibly bushy hair, reddish colored, the black of her robes contrasting her hair, making it all the redder, and her skin looked pale, and between the clothes she had to wear and her dark hair, she looked like a ghost child. The only especially nice feature Ginny could pick out were her dark, exotic eyes, dark brown, almost to the  
point of black, you could hardly see her pupils. There was a Hogsmeade trip the next day, and Ginny and Jesse went to Hogsmeade. Previously Jesse and Ginny both had hated Hogsmeade, because they hadn't any friends to sit and enjoy a butterbeer with, or compare candy purchases at Honeydukes...but now they did. And both of them discovered this fun thing called life that day. 


	2. Transer Students

That evening, laughing and chattering away, they entered the Great Hall, and sat down for dinner, well intent on having a good time. The Beautiful People were sitting a little way down the table, and Jesse and Ginny giggled together at their frivolity. It's amazing what having friends can do. Professor McGonagall tapped on a crystal goblet, and Jesse and Ginny, looking up, noticed that she had placed the traditional stool and Sorting Hat up on the platform. "Students!" McGonagall said imperiously. "I would like to welcome two transfer students to Hogwarts. Before the feast begins, we will have a quick Sorting Ceremony" The Hall doors opened, and two students walked in. One of them was tall, beautiful, and though she was wearing the Hogwarts uniform that everyone else was wearing, plaid skirt, gray sweater, collared shirt, tie, robes, knee socks, and chunky soled oxford shoes, she still managed to look like she was dressed in the absolute latest, up-to-the-second fashion.  
  
The other girl was much plainer. Short blond hair, that fell a little past her shoulders, it was shiny, swingy, and sun streaked. She had huge gray eyes that gave her a searching, intense look, similar to a cat. She had pale skin, and a straight skinny figure. Instead of walking model- like, like the other girl, she walked like she was extremely scared.  
  
Jesse didn't blame her.  
  
Jesse's and Ginny's eyes were both drawn again to the other girl, the model- like one. Suddenly, the girl flipped her hair, and smiled coyly at Harry. Jesse felt Ginny go tense and furious next to her. Harry looked slightly embarrassed. Jesse sniggered slightly, then saw the smaller, plainer girl cast a look at the model girl, and it embodied something like disgust. Jesse grinned, Ginny, seeing the plainer girl, grinned too.  
  
The two girls reached the platform at the front of the Great Hall, where McGonagall had placed the traditional stool with the traditional Sorting Hat on it. McGonagall continued "Please welcome Mary-Scott Chancey," she gestured to the model-like girl "and Anna Parisi" the plainer one. Anna was looking nervously around the hall, and Jesse caught her eye, and gave her an encouraging grin. Anna grinned back. Ginny leaned over and whispered to Jesse "Maybe if she gets in Gryffindor, she'll sit with us" Jesse then noticed that the only empty seats at the table were next to her, and next to Seamus. "I hope so too." Jesse replied.  
  
McGonagall called Mary-Scott forward. She tried on the Sorting hat, crossing her legs flirtatiously while she sat on the stool. Jesse snorted, leaned over to Ginny and whispered "I hope that stupid tart isn't in our house." Ginny nodded fervently "Did you see the way she was flipping her hair at Harry?" Jesse nodded grimly.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted Jesse moaned, and wished she had a bit of food to flick at Mary-Scott as she sashayed toward the empty seat next to Seamus.  
  
McGonagall called Anna forward. Jesse crossed her fingers under the table. Anna tried the hat on, fidgeting nervously, all the while trying to keep her knees together so the entire hall wouldn't see up her skirt.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted almost 


	3. Just Perfect

immediately.  
  
"Alright!" Ginny grinned.  
  
"Y'know, it's funny…" Jesse said "We haven't even met Anna, yet we still want her to sit with us."  
  
"Yeah, I know" Ginny grinned, then they both waved energetically at Anna, who was standing looking around for an empty seat. She grinned and hurried to her spot.  
  
Dumbledore rose.  
  
"Dig in!" he called out to the students. As Jesse helped herself to some tortellini which had magically appeared on the platter in front of her, she smiled at Anna. " Don't ya hate that?" about the sorting.  
  
"Oh, God, it was awful. All these people staring at me."  
  
Ginny grinned "Mine sucked too. At least you didn't have a huge crop of red hair drawing even MORE attention to you!" Anna grinned. "But even so," Anna continued "Having that tarty girl, what's her name, Mary-Scott or whatever sashaying around, flipping her hair…it sucked!"  
  
"Yeah…" Jesse agreed. "But at least you didn't fall on your face."  
  
Anna sniggered. "Did YOU?" She asked Jesse.  
  
Jesse nodded, howling with laughter at the memory of herself three and a half years ago. Ginny and Anna howled with her, but Ginny sobered up when she saw Mary Scott lean coyly across the table to speak to him. Harry blushed. Ginny stiffened. Anna groaned. Jesse fumed.  
  
"God." She spit out between clenched teeth. "There are too many preps in the world without Hairy-Snott or whatever her name is." Anna and Ginny grinned.  
  
"Hairy-Snott." Ginny smiled evilly. "Perfect"  
  
"Yeah." Anna grinned. "Just perfect." 


	4. The Big Idea

Several nights later, in the common room, Ginny, Jesse and Anna were all hangin out together, laughing and being crazy. Jesse and Anna were working on Banishing Charms(Ann was having a bit of trouble with them, and Jesse was helping her) Ginny was paging through a magazine that Anna had brought.  
  
"Hey look at this!" Ginny called out suddenly.  
  
"What is it?" asked Jesse, neatly avoiding the dictionary Anna had mistakenly sent flying across the room. She and Anna hurried to the table with Ginny.  
  
"Makeovers." Ginny said excitedly. She slid the magazine across the table to Jesse and Anna.  
  
Jesse and Anna eagerly paged through the magazine, looking at all of the before-after pictures of girls who had started out mediocre looking and had been transformed into knockouts. Jesse and Anna were both impressed.  
  
"What are you on about Ginny?" Anna asked. "This is really cool, but why are you showing us?"  
  
Seemingly ignoring Anna, Ginny stated "The school dance is in two weeks."  
  
Jesse's eyes widened. "Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I get it…"  
  
"Get what?" asked Anna.  
  
"Duh!" Ginny said "We can make ourselves over for the dance!"  
  
"Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I get it…" Anna said, her eyes wide like Jesse's.  
  
"Don't you see it?" Ginny asked excitedly. "We can make ourselves over for the dance, and get-" she stopped, flustered.  
  
"Get what?" Jesse and Anna asked simultaneously.  
  
"Nothing, forget I mentioned it" Ginny spit out hastily. "See, look at this one! Isn't she pretty?!" She pointed at a picture in a magazine, but in her haste to change the subject she didn't realize it was a copy of Which Broomstick that was randomly lying on the table."  
  
"Didn't know you had a liking for Quidditch Ginny." Jesse said cynically.  
  
"Get WHAT?!?!?!?!" Anna asked eagerly. "We know your hiding something!"  
  
Ginny debated. In such a short time, Jesse and Anna had become her best friends. Best friends had a right to know these things…  
  
"Oh, all right, fine." Ginny began "I want to do this makeover thing so Harry will notice me."  
  
"You like-!!!!!!" Anna and Jesse exploded at once. Ginny hastily wacked them both across the face with the Which Broomstick before they had time to blurt out her secret.  
  
"Sorry." They both whispered at once.  
  
"But still" Anna continued in a normal voice. "That is sooo cute!"  
  
"Yeah! Why don't you ask him to the dance?" Jesse asked eagerly.  
  
"Are you crazy!" Ginny hissed "He would laugh at me!"  
  
"Well, you don't have to make it a confession of lifelong love," Jesse said  
  
"Just ask him to go as friends!" Anna finished up for her.  
  
"I'll think about it. AFTER we get these makeovers" Ginny said seriously. "Since we're going to Hogsmeade this weekend, we could pick out dresses and get hair done and all that" Ginny resorted to practicalities.  
  
Ginny and Anna fell to discussing their potential makeovers and what they were going to wear. Jesse put her chin on her hand and fell away into lalaland.  
  
She found her thoughts dwelling more and more on Ginny's older brother, Fred. He was cute, funny, and he flirted with her sometimes too. Jesse wished constantly that she could be easy around guys like Lavender, Parvati and Mary-Scott. She wanted to be friends with them so she could learn how to relax around guys like they did, but she then again, she didn't like Lavender, Parvati and Mary-Scott.  
  
Jesse constantly nursed hopes of being able to go to the dance with Fred. The confidence she had spoken to Ginny with about inviting Harry to the dance was only a front. In truth every time she imagined herself asking Fred to come along with her, she inwardly squirmed with terror and embarrassment. And of course, there was the thought of what Mary-Scott would say…  
  
the year, even though she really seemed to pay more attention to makeup and passing notes in classes, she still seemed so much smarter than Jesse. So much prettier than Jesse. She had perfect hair, which was perfectly straight and perfectly smooth, not a bit frizzy, and it seemed like it was naturally that way. Jesse had to fight her hair just to keep it from sticking straight up in the mornings, even though it fell down past her shoulder blades, and usually resorted to a ponytail, which generally created the effect of a small bush growing out of the back of her head. Mary-Scott had wasted no time commenting on this.  
  
Mary-Scott had perfect skin, dusted with the cutest freckles, and not a pimple to worry about, despite all the makeup she wore. She had sparkly green eyes, and perfect teeth. She was tall thin, and model-like. A goddess in every physical sense. Every physical sense. In truth Mary-Scott was a (as Jesse had vehemently put it) a goddamned whore. She constantly flirted with Harry, always batting her eyelashes, flipping her hair, and laughing a fake, bubbly laugh. Jesse had once overheard her say to Parvati that she didn't really even like Harry, or even think he was that cute, but "hell, he's famous, and if I can get it on with a famous guy, then that's good for me!" That statement had made Jesse so angry (even though she didn't like Harry) that she had cursed Mary-Scott with a charm Hermione had taught her that made Mary-Scott's hair flash different colors for a week.  
  
Jesse felt very satisfied with herself. 


	5. The Ultimate Payback

The Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Anna, Ginny, and Jesse all awakened simultaneously. Grinning at each other, they hurried over to their closets. They all decided to wear Muggle clothes that day (Hogwarts allowed it on weekends) they hurried into the bathroom, pulling their makeup cases along with them. Once inside the bathroom Ginny said "Jesse, no offense or anything…" and handed Jesse a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. Anna agreed "Yeah, it looks kinda like you have a small bush growing out of the back of your head" (Jesse was wearing her hair in her usual ponytail)  
  
Now where have I heard that before? Jesse thought wryly.  
  
About one third of a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion later, Jesse's hair, while not exactly sleek and shiny, was not as bushy, but it was evident that she had a lot of hair.  
  
"I like this stuff!" Jesse said, surveying the results.  
  
"Yes indeed!" Anna said grinning "No more plant life!"  
  
Jesse, Ginny and Anna burst into fits of giggles.  
  
They fell to applying makeup, advising each other on colors, and where to put concealer, and that's a bit too much eye-shadow thank you very much, and the result was, if not three knockouts, they all looked better. Makeup does this, although they were still sort of mediocre.  
  
Suddenly there was a brisk tapping on the door. Ginny, Anna and Jesse hastily sorted out their makeup into their own bags, and Ginny threw open the door. Mary-Scott stood there.  
  
"How long have you guys been in here?" she asked huffily. Celebrity hissy fit here we go. Anna thought irritably. It wasn't Mary-Scott's personal bathroom.  
  
The three of them took her in. She, like them, was wearing Muggle clothing, but there, the similarities ended. She was wearing a short, tight denim skirt, chunky sandals, and a tank top that left little to the imagination. Her long hair, was as usual, flowing around her shoulder, perfect as always. Even though she apparently hadn't put on any makeup yet, her skin was perfect.  
  
Ginny, Anna, and Jesse were all wearing flared jeans and tight but conservative t-shirts. Anna in pink, Ginny in sage green, and Jesse's was bright blue with a lime-green Weezer symbol on it (Jesse had explained that Weezer was a Muggle band).  
  
"About forty-five minutes" said Jesse testily.  
  
"Well" Mary-Scott said "There's no use hogging the bathroom, when the likes of you don't seem to profit from putting on makeup at all. Why don't you just leave it up to people like me, who get more use out of it than you ever could?"  
  
"Yeah, well, who said it was your personal bathroom, and who said you could boss us around?" Anna said, a blush of fury rising in her cheeks.  
  
"And who are you to say we don't profit from using makeup?" Ginny asked furiously. "  
  
"And who are you to criticize our appearances when you yourself look like some cheap whore off the street?"  
  
Mary-Scott ignored them, tossed her hair (landing Jesse a faceful of it, Jesse was sure that was on purpose) and sashayed into the bathroom. Looking back at her, all three of them noticed her skirt was sticking up, and revealed the fact she was wearing a red lacy thong. None of them said a word, but hurried off giggling.  
  
Maybe it hadn't been such a bad encounter after all. 


End file.
